USAF 303 TMW Patch Tactical Missile Wing USAFE BGM 109G Gryphon Nuclear GLCM

 

USAF 303 TMW Patch Tactical Missile Wing BGM 109G Gryphon Nuclear Cruise Missile GLCM

Base – RAF Molesworth UK

Date – 1988

Visibility – Subdued

Construction – Fully embroidered cut edge

Size – 75mm by 75mm two and fifteen sixteenth inches by two and fifteen sixteenth inches

Shipping – Free

 

USAF 303 TMW Patch Tactical Missile Wing

 

History

 

B 29 Superfortress bomber 303 Bombardment Wing Medium

 

303 Bombardment Wing Medium was activated on 4 September 1951 Davis Monthan AFB Arizona equipped with B 29 Superfortress bomber aircraft assigned to 36 Air Division Strategic Air Command. The Wing was assigned 303 Bombardment Group with 358 359 and 360 Bombardment Squadrons which in WWII had flown B 17 Flying Fortress aircraft based at RAF Molesworth UK and operated in Northwest Europe. With the USAF decision to remove Group levels 303 Bombardment Group was Inactivated on 16 June 1952 with its Squadrons directly assigned to the wing. KB 29 Superfortress Tanker aircraft of 9 Air Refuelling Squadron were attached to the Wing in 1952 replaced by 303 Air Refueling Squadron on 18 February 1953.

 

B 47 Stratojet bomber 303 Bombardment Wing 

 

303 BW upgraded to Boeing B 47 Stratojet bomber aircraft and KC 97 Stratofreighter tanker aircraft in 1953. The Wing undertook training SAC exercises and deployments including RAF Greenham Common UK March 1954 moving to RAF Fairford in April 1954 returning to the US in June 1954. 303 Air Refueling Squadron was reassigned from the Wing on 1 February 1956. The Wing deployed to Anderson Air Force Base Guam from July to October 1956 returning from April to July 1958. 427 Bombardment Squadron was assigned to 303 BW on 1 December 1958 until 1 January 1962. With the USAF phase out of the B 47 Stratojet 303 Bombardment Wing Medium was inactivated on 15 June 1964.

 

BGM 109G Gryphon nuclear warhead cruise missile

 

With the plans to allocate RAF Molesworth as one of the bases for the BGM 109G Gryphon nuclear warhead cruise missile the USAF approved the redesignation of 550 Tactical Missile Wing to 303 Tactical Missile Wing in recognition of the 303 Bombardment Groups role at RAF Molesworth during WWII. 303 Tactical Missile Wing with 87 Tactical Missile Squadron and 303 Tactical Missile Maintenance Squadron were activated on 12 December 1986 on practical completion of the GLCM facilities. 303 TMW was part of 3rd Air Force at RAF Mildenhall reporting to HQ USAFE Ramstein AB West Germany.

Royal Air Force Regiment provided personnel embedded in 303 Missile Security Squadron to assist with security for GLCM flights during dispersal and for the GLCM alert and maintenance areas.

303 TMW achieved initial operational capability on 17 December 1987 ahead of schedule. Following USAF and RAF Nuclear Surety Testing the Wing passed with excellence and was awarded best ratings of any GLCM Missile Wing in all areas.

The 1983 deployment of GLCMs in Europe by President Reagan helped force the Soviet Union to the bargaining table. The Reykjavík summit in Iceland on 11 October 1986 between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev agreed in principle to removing Intermediate Range Nuclear Force systems from Europe and to equal global limits of 100 INF missile warheads. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed on 8 December 1987 coming into force on 1 June 1988 leading to the removal of all nuclear missiles from Western Europe. It was the first time in the history of the Cold War that an entire class of nuclear weapons were eliminated from the U.S. and USSR arsenals.

The first INF soviet inspection of 303 TMW was on 20 July 1988 with the media witnessing the first two nuclear missiles being taken to RAF Alconbury for destruction in the United States. With all missiles returned 303 Tactical Missile Wing and 87 Tactical Missile Squadron were inactivated on 31 January 1989.

 

Aeronautical Systems Center ISR 303 Aeronautical Systems Wing

 

The wing was consolidated with 303d Reconnaissance Systems Wing on 23 June 2006 and redesignated 303 Aeronautical Systems Wing on 14 July 2006 at Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio assigned to Air Force Materiel Command Aeronautical Systems Center. 303 ASW was tasked with the design development and delivery of aerospace weapon systems and capabilities. 303 Aeronautical Systems Wing was inactivated on 1 July 2010 on its redesignation as ASC/WI Aeronautical Systems Center ISR Directorate.

 

This USAF 303 TMW Patch Tactical Missile Wing dates from 1987.